Andy Murray goes into this week's Paris Masters on a 12-match winning run after retaining his St Petersburg title by crushing Kazakhstan qualifier Andrey Golubev 6-1, 6-1.

Murray has won 18 of his last 19 matches, his only defeat since a first-round loss to Yen-Hsun Lu at the Beijing Olympics in August coming to Roger Federer in the US Open final.

His victory in Russia yesterday took just 56 minutes and was the shortest final on the ATP circuit this year.

It was also the fewest games Murray has lost in a match this season, since the first match he played in Doha where he beat Olivier Rochus 6-0, 6-2.

"I played very consistently, I served pretty well, didn't give him too many chances and obviously won pretty comfortably," said the British No1.

Murray, though, admitted there had been a lot of expectation coming into the final.

"I had a lot of pressure," he said. "I was the favourite and he didn't have anything to lose. The match was close in the beginning of both sets but once I was able to take the lead I felt more comfortable."

Golubev acknowledged he had come up short.

"I was playing well all week but I was just off. I think I ran out of fuel," he said.

"Murray didn't make any mistakes and was more stable during the match, especially on his serve."

Murray is the first British player to win back-to-back tour level titles since Mark Cox in March 1975.

He has also retained an ATP title for the second time in his career, after clinching the San Jose trophy in 2006.

In Paris, fourth seed Murray has been given a bye into the second round and will face either Marcos Baghdatis or Sam Querrey.